


you're as sweet as strawberry wine

by inlovewithpayne



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Cool, Cowboy Harry, Established Relationship, Famous Louis, M/M, Musician Louis, Non-Famous Harry, Small Towns, i really just dont know, oh i guess i should tag, ok i'll add more later maybe i dont know, that is the main tag and reason, um what else is there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 04:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12182985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithpayne/pseuds/inlovewithpayne
Summary: Louis is writing his third album. Harry is his cowboy muse hidden away in the countryside.





	you're as sweet as strawberry wine

**Author's Note:**

> this is for jordan. happy birthday, pardner!
> 
> i wrote this entire thing while listening to tennessee whiskey by chris stapleton, which is also where the title comes from. i love that song.
> 
> thanks to my pal sophie for reading this and fixing my horrible typos.
> 
> i love cowboy harry haha!

Louis wakes up in warmth. It shouldn’t be as disorienting as it is because he would know the scent that’s surrounding him even in his sleep. Which, sleep. Why isn’t he sleeping?

He blinks his eyes open and sees nothing but curls. Harry’s fast asleep, hands gripping at Louis’ arm around his waist, and soft little snores escaping from his downturned mouth. Louis feels like the smile on his face hasn’t left since he came back. Since he came back home.

In the distance, he hears the sounds of the cattle like a gentle good morning. The sun is rising slowly and peeking its way through the sliver between the two curtains, casting Harry in the loveliest light.

He pulls Harry closer and presses his nose into his neck to take a deep breath. Harry lets out a snuffle and shimmies farther back so they’re touching from head to toe.

“Morning, Lou.” He whispers so sweetly, the smile evident in his voice. Louis scratches at Harry’s tummy and feels his heart speed up when Harry giggles.

“Morning, darling.” Harry hums contently when he hears the name, shifting again. “I wrote an entire album about you and me calling you darling is what gets you going?”

Harry turns to face Louis, a grin on his face. “Anything you do gets me going. _Especially_ when you call me darling and write an entire album about me.”

With his hand smoothing Harry’s hair down, he hugs his boy closer and thinks back on his first album.

It had been two years ago when he decided he needed to go into the countryside to find inspiration for his second album. His manager Niall was a friend of Harry and had said Harry had an entire farm to himself. _His family’s house but he lives alone_ , Niall had said. 

Louis had met Harry in the summer, felt himself melt as soon as he saw the blue jeans, cowboy boots and cowboy hat perched on the softest curls he’d ever seen. He spent that entire summer writing songs about eyes as green as the mountains around him and how falling in love felt like jumping into a lake absolutely starkers with a warm hand holding you steady. 

His album had been received well. _Beyond_ well, if the way it held number one on the charts for four months was anything to go by. He didn’t expect to find his muse when he spontaneously told Niall that he needed to escape.

Harry pressing a kiss to Louis’ hand shakes him from his mind. “Going to make some breakfast. Come out when you decide to get out of that head of yours.” He sits up, smacks a kiss on Louis’ lips, and slips out of the bed.

Louis watches as he slides a pair of black underwear over his bum then saunters out cheekily. He always knows when Louis is watching him. Reaching out towards the bedside table, he grabs his glasses and puts them on after rubbing at his face with his hand.

He’s been here for a month. After the tour had ended he had dropped off the grid and immediately made his way to Harry. Niall had said that this was a break _and_ time to write. Louis had grinned, pulled Niall under his arm, and reminded him just how well it had gone when he escaped to Harry the first time.

Louis had left Harry’s in December, far past his plan of only spending the summer away. With a book full of songs and a lightweight feeling in his chest, Louis had spent the next year producing, releasing, and touring his album.

It had been hard not seeing Harry, but he made sure to visit as often as he could whenever there were breaks in his schedule and Facetime was a blessing. There were rough patches when the distance became too much, but they got through it. They were here.

He gets out of bed and finds his underwear on the floor, pulls them on along with a soft sweater. The smell of bacon and eggs waft towards him as soon as he steps out of their room and he follows it towards the kitchen.

Harry is at the stove, hips swaying to whatever country song is playing from the radio. Louis doesn’t pretend to know country music; he just lets the songs Harry loves so much wash over him.

“What’ve you got going?” He asks as he hops onto the counter. Harry looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Eggs, bacon, and there’s some coffee in the pot.” 

Louis scoots off and goes to pour him and Harry a cup. He places Harry’s mug next to the stove and takes a sip of his while placing a hand on Harry’s hip. “Thanks, love.” 

They eat at the too-big farmhouse style table, ankles locked together, and small conversation between bites. When they finish they go about cleaning up and putting the extras away.

“You heading out around the field today?” Louis settles onto the couch in the living room and asks as Harry walks back into their room.  
“Yeah,” Harry replies, “Going to go check on the foals.” 

Louis hums and fondly thinks on the new horses prancing around in the grassy fields. “Tell them I said hello?” Harry laughs and walks out, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white shirt. “Anything for you, Lou.”

He leans down to kiss Louis then grabs his hat, gets in his boots, and walks towards the stables. Louis watches him through the window and messes with his hair. _What did I do right in my life to get myself a cowboy like him?_ Louis thinks.

 

–

It’s late afternoon when Harry rides up to the porch where Louis is trying to write lyrics. He looks up and grins. Louis gives up and leaves his notebook and pen on the table. 

“Hi, Baby.” Louis says fondly. 

“Hi,” Harry replies with a satisfied grin. 

“Wasn’t talking to you, Styles, and you know it,” Louis states while reaching up to pet at the side of Baby’s face. Because, of course, Harry is the type of person to name his horse Baby. 

Harry pouts, smile breaking his dramatics when Louis scratches at Harry’s calf as a hello. “Want to go for a ride?” 

Louis nods, “Let me just get my boots on, yeah?” He hears Harry drop down from Baby and start cooing as he walks towards the porch to put the boots Harry had bought him this past Christmas on. 

When he makes his way back Harry helps him get on then boosts his way behind Louis, hands moving to grasp the reins. Harry squeezes his legs and Louis feels Baby start a gentle trot. He settles back into Harry’s chest and basks in the sun as it makes its slow descent behind the mountains.

They ride around for a while, through the fields and past the lake where they first kissed. With gentle voices, they pass the time by pointing out birds that fly by, the cattle swishing their tails, and the way the autumn air is biting at their arms.

By the time they get back to the stables the sun has set and the sky is just barely lit a soft blue. They lead Baby back to her stall and Louis strokes her face, whispers a goodnight and grabs Harry’s hand as they head to the house.

–  
The months go on much the same. Louis has no deadline on his next album and his next appearance is in May. By the time December comes around, him and Harry have settled into a comfortable routine. Harry goes out and does his cowboy things while Louis writes. 

They’ll occasionally go to the lake and take a dip and Louis more often than not finds himself going out to find Harry and help him with whatever he’s working on. He can only spend so much time writing before it gets frustrating.

Louis usually goes out to help when Harry’s taking care of the animals. He likes to think he’s sneaky, with the way he watches Harry fixing the sides of the stable and goes out to help when Harry starts the routine for the animals.

At first, Harry had commented on it. “Seems like you only ever come out here when you want to see the animals, Lou.” Louis had feigned shock and slapped at Harry. “ _Harold_ , how very dare you! I’m here to _help_.” 

Harry learned to just accept it and try not to show how much it affected him when Louis was holding the baby animals. Louis pretended not to notice how Harry could never _not_ show it.

It’s a bit chilly today, snow starting to fall, and Louis goes out earlier to help Harry move the animals into the barn. They work in silence, covering the horses with blankets and giving extra cuddles to the goats.

When they make it back to the house, Louis is shivering and rubbing at his arms.

“Still want to go out tonight? I’ll have to go into to town to pick up some things anyway, but you can stay home if you want.” Harry asks as they move into their bedroom. With a shake of his head, Louis grabs Harry’s hand and spins him around.

“Trying to get out of date night, darling?” Louis asks, hands gripping Harry’s waist. Frowning, Harry wraps his arms around Louis’ neck. “No, just didn’t know if you were up for the cold. You know I love date night.”

Louis leans up to kiss Harry and caress his face. “I was just joking, love. Let’s get ready and head out, yeah?” He kisses Harry again, longer this time as their lips fit together.

They drive the ten minutes to the town in Harry’s pickup truck. Louis had teased him endlessly when he had first seen it. Now, he couldn’t see Harry in anything else. 

With the radio on low and their hands laced together over the stick shift, Louis watches out the window as they pass endless fields, thinking about how lucky he is to have found this place. To have found _Harry_. 

Harry parks the truck along the sidewalk as they pull into the small town. It’s tiny, with only a few stores and diners lining the street. They get out and head into the quiet diner that they like to think of their own.

Shedding their coats and leaving them on the stand at the front, they sit at a window booth and immediately press their feet together. Barbara, the older waitress who is most likely the kindest woman Louis has ever met, greets them with two cups of coffee. 

“Thanks, Barbara. How are you today?” Louis asks with a fond smile. Barbara places a hand on his shoulder and smiles back. 

“I’m doing great today, Louis. Can I get the normal for the both of you?”

Harry nods. “Yes please, Mrs. B,” He replies, because he’s grown up calling her by that, “You are looking absolutely lovely today.” 

Barbara laughs and gently whacks Harry’s shoulder before heading back towards the kitchen. 

“Stop flirting with other people when your boyfriend is sitting right in front of you.” Louis says with his eyebrows raised. Harry giggles and catches Louis’ hand in his. “Wouldn’t dare to flirt with anyone but you, Lou.”

Their food arrives within ten minutes since they’re the only ones in tonight. Harry has a plate of waffles, eggs, and sausage while Louis has pancakes and a side of hashbrowns. They’ve come here enough for the staff to know that they always order the same thing.

It’s silent as they eat; the only sounds those of the occasional clank of dishes from the diner’s kitchen. Sometimes it goes like this, words not needed between the two of them. Everything is said through glances and laced fingers.

Harry breaks the quiet after they’ve put their plates to the side. “How are the songs going?”

Louis shrugs and stops stacking the creamer containers to look at Harry. “I’ve written a few. A lot of single lines and some beats.” 

Harry grins and brings his steaming mug to his face. “Any of them about me?”

With a fond roll of his eyes, Louis replies. “They’re all about you.”

Watching Harry’s face transform never fails to take Louis’ breath away. He’s so bad at hiding his emotions; can’t help the way he expresses himself through his facial features.

The snow outside is falling lightly, people walk past the diner, _Tennessee Whiskey_ a soothing background noise, and all of it becomes irrelevant when Harry looks at him.

“I love you,” Harry says.

Louis brings their entwined hands to his mouth and kisses his “I love you” into Harry’s skin and tries not to notice how fitting “ _you’re as warm as a glass of brandy_ ” is.

They leave the diner after paying and hugging Barbara goodbye, helping each other into their coats and bracing for the cold weather. Harry guides Louis along the sidewalk and into a few stores to get what he needs for the house.

At one point, they walk into an antiques shop and wave at the teenager running the front. Louis finds a cowboy hat on the back shelf and puts it on, finds Harry and surprises him with a shout, “Yeehaw!”

Harry startles, stands in silent shock with his eyes wide before bursting into cackles. “I would tease you, Lou, but you look so good right now.”

Louis raises an eyebrow. “This turn you on, cowboy?” 

With a blush and eyes casted down, Harry slaps his hands over his face. “Maybe,” he mumbles.

They end up buying the hat and watch as the amused teenager hands it over and says have a nice night. Flustered, Harry pulls Louis out of the store, Louis laughing the entire time.

It’s around 10 when they pull up the long dirt driveway towards the house. Louis pulls Harry towards their room as soon as Harry locks the front door.

When they land in bed, clothes littered on the floor, Louis isn’t aware of anything but the warm feeling of Harry pressed against him, the soft gasps he lets out, the way his nails dig into Louis’ back. He isn’t aware of anything but _Harry_.

Louis falls asleep that night with the love of his life in his arms and lyrics of endless adoration forming behind his eyelids.

–

Louis is freaking out. Which should be fine, really, because he’s already gone through this. He has two number one albums that he’s had to release, so it shouldn’t be this nerve-wracking.

 _And yet_ , he thinks.

Logically, he knows this is his best album yet. He spent ten months writing songs. That’s the longest he’s every spent developing something. 

It’s just. There’s an hour left until his album’s release party kicks off and his album is released worldwide, and _Harry is still not here_.

Just as he’s about to text Harry, again, he hears a knock on his hotel door. He hops off the couch and pulls the door open, slumping right into Harry’s chest as soon as he sees him.

Harry just wraps his arms around him and hugs him close. Gentle hands scratch into his hair then pull him up so they’re face to face. “Hi, Lou.”

Louis lets out a sigh and pulls Harry’s face towards him so he can kiss him. They stand there in the doorway, soft lips and a gentle sway. Louis thinks he wouldn’t give up kissing Harry for anything.

“Hi, darling,” Louis replies when they pull back. “I’m supposed to be mad at you but it’s impossible.”

Harry grins then kisses Louis again. “My flight landed later than I thought. I’m sorry.” Harry whispers against Louis’ mouth.

“It’s okay. I’m just stressed.”

“You shouldn’t be.” Harry says. “How can your album be anything less than perfect when you wrote it about me?” 

Louis groans and starts to walk away, but Harry pulls him back in, giggles shaking him. 

“You can go back home now. I don’t want you here.” 

Harry gasps, offended. “I came all the way here, dressed in your favorite outfit, and you treat me like this?”

Louis gets a good look at him, sees the tight blue jeans held up by a brown leather belt. He’s wearing one of his long sleeved floral shirts, buttons undone enough for Louis to see the top of the moth tattoo on his stomach and sleeves rolled to his elbows. The look is complete with the matching white cowboy boots and hat Louis had bought for him.

“You look absolutely stunning.” Louis gasps and watches as Harry’s face lights up. 

“So do you.” Harry says, cheeks red even after all these years of Louis complimenting him. 

Louis’ phone buzzes with a text from Niall. _Time to go! Meet you downstairs in five._

“Ready, darling?” Louis asks. Harry grins and laces their fingers.

“Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed this! find me on tumblr at kiwipose! 
> 
> yeehaw!


End file.
